Dragon Rider
by ValaMalDoran-Jackson
Summary: When all are gone but one person, are all truly gone?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Yes, I am back! This is something I came up with after watching Runner, Duet, and Sateda back to back. I have an addiction. Does anyone know of any Stargate Atlantis addiction support groups? PM me if there's one in Texas…..**

**I need it. Anyway, I don't own, (sadly) so please don't sue. Don't flame, constructive criticisms are one thing, but flamers will be shot, stuffed, and mounted on the walls in my living room. Don't believe me? Try me. **

**Toodles! VMD-J**

_She ran, always ran, keeping hidden during the day and traveling at night, never stopping. Once, long ago, she had worn the finest clothing her people could offer a wealthy young woman. Now, her clothing was animal skin she had patched herself, or stolen from the villages she passed through each night. Never sleeping in the same place twice. Never speaking to people she encountered, killing those that got in her way. Once, she had eaten only the choicest meats and vegetables brought from the market. _

_Now, she trapped and killed her own meats, ate it raw, stole what she needed to survive, and ran some more. Never stop running. She'd been caught twice, once by the Wraith and turned into a runner, once by villagers who planned to hand her off to the Wraith the next morning. She escaped and slaughtered the entire village as they slept. Had she not, they would have been culled and suffered a worse fate than she had visited upon them. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if she was the only survivor of her world. _

_A world once rich in technology and military – _

_She shuddered away from the thoughts that turned ever homeward, knowing it was useless. _

_Sateda was gone, and with it, her home, family, and old life. _

Ronon sighed in frustration as Rodney kept up his incessant chatter about what projects he was missing out on watching Zelenka destroy with impunity while he himself traipsed around on a godforsaken planet in the hopes of finding a non-existent village that may or may not have been culled, moved out of the area, or even disbanded and absorbed into the culture of another world.

Catching Sheppard's eye, Ronon tried for a lighthearted grin, feeling it come out as more of a grimace.

"One more hour, Chewie. Then we make camp." Sheppard promised, patting the bigger man's arm before stepping over a fallen tree across the path. Something caught his ankle; he pulled away and felt rather than saw the log that fell toward him from up in the trees. Ronon jerked him out of the way, planting a boot in Rodney's ass and shoving him into a bush as the log hurtled past them, swinging wildly as it descended. When Sheppard eased to his feet, looking carefully for other traps, Teyla moved to his side.

"This was deliberate." She told him, eyeing the log. It had to weigh at least two tons, embedded with spikes covered in a gelatinous ooze, and swung gently suspended by vines braided together a good two feet off the ground.

"Touch that stuff, you get sick. Get it in your blood, you die." Ronon grunted when McKay reached to touch one of the spikes. The smaller man backed away, wiping his hand on his vest.

"You touch it?" Sheppard asked, giving him a look.

"No! I just…reflex, you know? Like wanting to bathe after seeing a hobo." Rodney replied, giving the thing a wide berth as he came around.

"We should take samples. Carson will want to study it." Teyla uncapped a specimen jar and used a twig to scrape the gel into it. Carefully, she screwed the top shut and tucked it away in her vest.

"Let's keep moving, watch your feet. You see anything out of the ordinary, don't touch it. Try not to die, I hate paperwork." Sheppard called out as they continued moving forward, albeit slowly and on the lookout for more traps.

She watched them draw small twigs to decide who would take first watch that night. When the smaller man…

_ \- weaker, easier to kill, not a warrior -_

…threw his down in disgust, she breathed a silent sigh of relief. She didn't want to kill the others. It would have been a shame to destroy their bloodlines, obvious warriors, much like…

_mustn't go down that path, mustn't bring the memories, useless, empty…could bring her destruction down upon her head…_

Giving herself a shake, she mentally reviewed the methods of killing she had accumulated. Shooting him was not an option. Too much noise. Bring the others, didn't want to kill them too. Slitting his throat from ear to ear, that had merit. Strangling him. Stabbing him.

Twitching from the endless possibilities presenting themselves in her mind one after another almost too swiftly for her to see, she slunk to another position facing the camp.

She hadn't survived almost twelve years as a Runner by staying in one place over long. Fifteen times over the next three hours, she shifted her hiding place. In that time she heard the camaraderie die down, then finally trail off as one by one the warriors fell asleep around the fire. Slowly, carefully, she eased to her feet, hidden by the trees, and moved forward silently.

Then she was within tackling distance. A few steps more, and she was behind him. She could have stabbed him easily. Cut his throat.

His head hung down to his chest and air whistled between his lips in a gentle stream as she drew her knife to deliver the killing stroke.

He was asleep.

_Asleep. No danger._

Taking a moment to look him over, she caught her breath in a gasp. Ancestral technology hung from his limp fingers, she plucked it away carefully, watching for movements that would make him a threat. A computation device was strapped to his chest, she worked her blade up under the straps and easily cut them free, then licked her lips at the vest he wore, pockets full of things she couldn't identify. She couldn't resist. Slicing the front away from him, she draped it over her arm before cutting open the pouches that clung to his body like a second skin. She paused, her mind drifting over the years.

_Clothes_.

That's what they were called.

_Pants_.

She had known them for what they were, but refused to let her mind touch the familiarity. Emptying the pockets, she transferred everything he carried to her sack, her fingers tugging at the second ancestral device clutched in his hand. He tightened unconsciously, she froze at the sound of one of the warriors barking out a laugh in his sleep, she turned to see if her silent movements had wakened them. When she turned back to the one she stripped of items, she breathed a sigh of relief. So far, she was unhindered by them. Cutting away the last of the items she needed, she rose to her feet and made her way to the warriors around the fire. Two males, one female.

_Triple barrel shotgun. _

The largest male had it cradled protectively under his hand, she'd had harder times getting food away from a dog. Gently, ever so gently, she trailed a leaf down the side of his jaw. When he batted it away, she dropped the leaf and scooped up a tree branch roughly the size of the shotgun, snatching the weapon away in almost the same movement as his hand descended, searching for the weapon even in sleep. Without a sound, he quieted once he touched the trade out.

The others were easier. They'd left everything atop their packs that night, she eased their weapons away from them as they slept, none the wiser. Then, she was gone, taking the packs with her as she disappeared into the night. Heading to the cave that she had found three days ago, she followed it to the large room where she set up camp and began sorting through her take.

"Everything's missing. _Every_thing. Weapons, food, water, it's all gone." Rodney snapped bitterly, inspecting the gashes cut into his clothing. "Whoever did this, they knew what they were doing." Sheppard sighed. Ronon crisscrossed the camp, staring at the ground, deep in tracker mode.

"They went this way. One set of tracks, probably a younger male." He announced after a moment. Pausing at the fireside of the night before, he stared at something on the ground, turning slowly to let his eyes roam over the area they had slept.

"What have you found?" Teyla asked, stepping closer to her friend.

"You slept there." He pointed to her location, then to another. "I was there. Sheppard, here." He crouched, picked up a rock three times the size of his fists. Teyla recognized it as the one she had tossed into the jungle before spreading out her bedroll the night before.

"Whoever it was, they were here to kill us. They retrieved it, sat here for a time, waiting to kill Sheppard." Ronon rumbled, eyes darkening as he ran through the scenario in his mind.

The intruder had crouched at his friend's head, the rock clutched in their hand, wanting to strike a killing blow.

What had saved Sheppard's life?


	2. Chapter 2

The village was perfect. Empty, and, from the looks of the vegetation creeping around everything, she was sure it had been empty for years. Decades, maybe.

Even better. She had possibly ten minutes before the Hunters showed up, she needed to find a good place to scavenge then get out.

"…_dred bucks says it's a ghost town." _

"_You're on. Hope you like paying up." _

The voices were within mere feet of her, she darted around an outbuilding and bolted for the yawning blackness of an empty home. If the Hunters came, she would have to protect the strangers. Something she hated doing, people usually blamed her for anything that went wrong.

Slamming her back against the interior wall by the door of the shelter, she bit her lip.

"_Thought I heard something in here. I'll be back." _The male voice called as it progressively moved closer to her shelter. Biting her lip, she fisted her hand in the crumbling wall behind her, digging through to pull a brick free. When he entered, she froze, the brick clenched in her hand. In the darkness, he didn't see her pressed against the wall. For several long agonizing seconds, he stood in the doorway, only a few inches from her. Finally, he turned and walked back out.

"_I'll get you the money back on Atlantis." _He shrugged once.

Atlantis. City of the Ancestors. She had heard from someone, she couldn't remember the village or the person who told her, but they had passed on a rumor that the people from the city could help her.

She'd slit his throat, she could remember that much. The blood slipping over her hands, spraying in a warm arc across her face. They'd never exchanged names, she was glad they hadn't.

She let out a sigh of relief when she heard the team leaving the area. She was down to three minutes, far longer than she'd ever stayed on an unprotected planet before. Sprinting from the shelter, she made it into the forest before she was seen. Ten minutes, only ten minutes on planet. Now, down to three. She had piled her things near the Ring before heading into the village to scavenge, she scooped them up on the way.

Minute and a half. Cutting it close. She put on a burst of speed and slid to a halt just ten feet from the clearing the Ring sat in.

It was activated, vortex shimmering blue in the night air. She could hear the telltale whine of the darts as they searched for her. When the last dart had left the Ring, she watched them begin sweeping the area with culling beams. They knew she was close, due to the tracker implanted in her body. It sat in her body like an uninvited guest, unwanted and despised. She glimpsed a way to the Ring. The path they were circling, if she ran now, she could get to the dialing device.

Barely enough time. She'd have to leave her things behind, something her entire being protested. A dart broke off and headed her way, forcing her decision. Bolting for the dialing device, she managed only three steps before running into something hard and unyielding, throwing her to her back hard as a culling beam swept past her head. Before she could spring to her feet, she had been surrounded by men with weapons.

A challenge. Perfect. She loved to be challenged. It was most entertaining.

"Take her with us. We'll drop her off on another planet somewhere before we head home." One ordered. When the others moved to obey, pulling her to her feet, she understood him to be their leader. She could kill them easily. Their leader would never know what happened, after she cut his throat. Or stabbed him through the heart. Shot him. Strangled him. The many scenarios for his death poured through her mind in a stream. As they urged her into the ship, she resisted their attempts to move her along. Breaking free she bolted into the forest surrounding the Ring, amidst gunfire and shouts.

The hunters were on her trail again, she could hear their bulky bodies pressing through the underbrush to follow her. She had to get them away from the strangers. Keep them safe. She didn't like to kill the innocent, but when it was her life or theirs, well, sacrifices would have to be made.

_Their ship was ancestral_.

They had made her miss her get away time.

_Their ship was Ancestor made. _

Were they the Ancestors she had prayed to in the first years of her captivity? Or just men who had stolen the technology?


	3. Chapter 3

She was bleeding. The pain rolled over her in waves, but she couldn't drop. A group of Wraith were on her tail, had been there since they landed the day before, she had to shake them.

She could hear one coming up behind her, she gave a last leap and rolled to safety, keeping herself tucked into a ball as she hit the dirt. Covering her head, she shielded from the worst of what was about to happen. The Wraith came closer, readying to strike.

A wave of heat washed over her as the carefully concealed mine she had planted from the warrior's packs detonated. A smoldering boot landed in front of her, the shinbone and part of the leg still sticking out from it. Without a second thought, she surged to her feet and kept running.

_She had to get to the Ring._

Had to get away.

Sheppard jerked around at the sound of the mine erupting in the distance, then began heading in that direction.

"Of course. A normal person would run the opposite direction of the explosion, but, as so often is the case, Colonel Suicide Mission heads directly for it." Rodney grumbled, giving chase.

She collapsed, mere feet away from the dialing device. Shoving herself to her feet, she swayed, pain flashing through her eyesight in spurts. First the device was on stable ground, then it was bucking like a bird in the wind. She took a step and barely caught herself on her palms, inches away from the ground. The Wraith were coming, showing up as a group of red dots on the sensor in her hand. Another group of dots, this one green, were also headed her way. Digging her nails into the dirt, she dragged herself forward, toward the ring.

_Fear_

She'd never been this close to the Wraith since…

The air whooshed out of her lungs when a boot caught her just under the rib cage and lifted her off the ground. She hit the packed dirt, hard, and wheezed, coughing in a lungful of dusty air. Her ribs ached, three protruded from her side and she couldn't move at the pain. She wasn't going to survive this encounter.

They had caught her. It was over.

Warm red liquid flow out of her mouth when the Wraith kicked her again, this time his foot landing in softer stomach organs.

When he drew back to kick her again, she forced her eyes up to his. He'd never break her. She would go down staring him in the face. His leg swung forward, she braced for the killing blow.

Lightning flew across the clearing, striking the Wraith in the chest and blowing a hole through his torso. The force knocked him around and onto the ground, his charred upper body landing across her legs and pinning her in place. Using her good arm, she leveraged herself up and struggled to crawl away.

Pounding feet rushed toward her, she wrenched one leg free and began shoving the dead weight off the other. Still struggling, she clawed up dirt and rocks in both hands as she caught sight of the others coming for her.

Through the dim red haze that clouded her vision, she recognized the warriors she had allowed to survive only a few days before. They moved across the clearing to her in a unit, much like the Wraith, but without fear of their leader. She had learned long ago what to look for in groups that came after her, none of the warning signs were present. As blackness clouded her vision, she finally understood why her instincts had been telling her to avoid killing them at all costs.

_Trust_


	4. Chapter 4

She jerked awake, doing a mental check of her surroundings.

A small room made of some sort of fabric, voices from the other side, and a padded bed she was strapped to. It smelled distantly familiar, like something she remembered in a dim corner of her mind.  
Struggling to rise, get away, she heard the voices go silent and ceased her struggles to lie back against the mattress once more. With eyes closed and breathing even, she knew her body resembled a deep sleep. Footsteps neared her side and a hand gently closed over her wrist. She calmed her racing heartbeat instantly, continuing the illusion of sleep as she waited out the ones touching her.

"Hate seeing her like this. Isn't there something you can give her, wake her up a bit so we can talk to her?"

She recognized his voice, the leader of the warriors she hadn't killed. Now she was his prisoner. He would be the first she killed.

Then, she felt it.

The fabric around her wrist fell away with a harsh sound. Before it could even touch the surface of the mattress, she was a blur of movements, ripping her other arm free of restraint and leaping off the mattress. The two guards aimed weapons at her, she easily pulled the slide off the top of the projectile weapon from one, buried it in the throat of the other.

_Vicious, cold, unfeeling_

She had to keep going. Leaping, she pivoted in the air and brought her heel down on the side of the warrior leader's leg, crumpling him to the floor. Spinning on her toes, she flashed out a kick and caught another in the chest, knocking her back onto the floor.

They were down, she bolted from the room and moved into a ground-eating stride. She had to get away from them.

Had to disappear once again.

She turned down a hallway, followed it to the end, looked down at her wrist to see tubes and some sort of needle embedded in the underside of her arm, blood dripping from the tube and onto the floor by her feet. Ripping it free, she stemmed the blood flow with a strip of fabric yanked from the sleeve of her tunic, tying it tightly around her wrist to keep her attackers off her trail.

Somewhere, in these twisted corridors, was a way out. She just had to find it.

"I'd like to know how she took out two trained Marines, Colonel Sheppard, and Teyla in under three seconds, and is even now evading Ronon. Find out everything we can from her tracker, anything will be worth knowing. Doctor Beckett, what can you tell us about her medical history?" Woolsey asked, looking to the astonished doctor.

"I can tell you for certain that she's female. Possibly Satedan. Definitely a Runner, as evidenced by the tracking device we dug out of her back and disabled. She's been tortured, evidence of scarring on her vocal chords we've seen it from the scans we took of her before we patched her up, which is probably why she doesn't make any sounds."

"Is there any indication of how long she's been a Runner?" Teyla asked then.

"Her tracking device was the same type as Ronon's. I think it's safe to say that she's been running since he was taken, possibly longer. We won't know for certain until we ask her. If she's even capable of anything other than feral instinct, we'd best start opening the lines of communication quickly." Beckett replied.

"Colonel, I shall leave the manhunt in your capable hands, but do keep me posted on how it goes. Once our guest has been secured, I'd like you to extend an offer to have her stay on. Anyone that can take down two armed Marines and Teyla would most definitely be an asset to our offworld teams." Woolsey stood, only to hear a wounded noise from Sheppard.

"She took me down too, what about that?"

"No offense Colonel, but, Torren can take you down. Doctor Beckett says you're lucky she landed wrong, didn't shatter your kneecap. It could have ended your military career. I would hate to see that happen, so please, use extreme caution when approaching her. Dismissed."

Woolsey watched them leave, then sighed.

Another Runner.


	5. Chapter 5

She's thirsty. It's the first thing that crosses her mind when the fog of terror finally fades. Slowing to a trot, then a walk, she eventually comes to a halt and draws in a deep breath. Somewhere, close by, she smells water. Slightly stale, probably been there some time, but water nonetheless. Following the scent, she made her way down a twisting corridor that slowly pitched downward. As she continued along, the lights began to flicker on in her path, one after another.

As if leading her.

She paused and considered that thought for several seconds before turning down another hallway.

Away from the lights.

The scent of water grew stronger as she walked through the darkened hall until she stepped down into a puddle of icy liquid. Continuing on, she waded in until she was chest deep, the cold refreshing to her heated skin.

Dipping her head under, she carefully eased her lips apart only the barest of slits, allowing water to trickle into her mouth. It was good, she let more in, gulping down several mouthfuls before snapping her head up to listen for any suspicious sounds. When she slowly lowered her head to drink once more, she began scrubbing at the dirt and grime covering her arms and face. It had been weeks since she felt safe enough to stop running. Felt safe enough to bathe.

Slipping completely under the water, she came to rest on the bottom of the pool, combiner her fingers through her matted hair until finally, it loosened into the dark ringlets it had once been.

Pushing herself to the surface, she froze at the sight of the warrior.

"Hi." He lifted a hand, gave a slight wave, dropped it once more.

_Easy to kill him, snap his neck, slit his throat, gut him, _

"I'm Colonel Sheppard, John to my friends. We might be friends, if you want." He finally continued.

No answer from the woman, he stepped back slightly to show he meant her no harm.

"We usually use this for training days, lucky for me it's not in use today, huh? I hate paperwork, and the way you put down those guards today…well, let's just say there might be a lot more paperwork if I pressure you. So, tell you what. I'm going to go hang out at the other end of the pool, way over there. Give you some space to move around, leave this room if you want. Or, you could trust me, follow me over, and we talk out what's going on with you. Or, what you want us to do now that your tracking device is gone." He turned and walked away from her, giving her the space she needed…desperately craved. Still, she felt a twinge of detached longing for his companionship.

_Her tracker was gone_

The warrior…John…picked up a ball from the ground as he walked, tossing it in the air as he walked around the water. As if she wasn't going to kill him. As if she wasn't dangerous.

No one had ever turned away when she was there. They hated and feared her, kept her in sight as long as they could. Pushed her away when she got too close. But this one, this stranger…she trusted him. With a harsh breath, she slowly followed him to the other side, stopping several feet from him.

"You feel like talking?" He asked when he caught sight of her. She lifted her shoulder, dropped it. John looked down at the object in his hand, smiled.

"Torren's. He's three. Teyla's little boy. You'll meet Teyla pretty soon if you feel like staying, she's the resident Athosian. She's nice, you'll like her. Is it safe to assume that you're Satedan? Are you from Sateda?" He asked.

_Her home, he knew her home, said the name!_

Wetness sprang to her eyes at the memory of her planet, she nodded to show he was correct as a tear slipped free. Angrily wiping it away, she stiffened to glare at him. But he was inspecting the toy in his hand.

Hadn't seen her weakness.

"We got a guy here, Ronon, from there. I'm sure he'd like to meet you too." He went on, then lobbed the ball in a gentle overhand arc into the water.

"What say you we go back to see Beckett, get your physical over with, let him poke and prod and take your temperature, whatever else he needs to do to let me know you're not a threat? It'd take maybe fifteen, twenty minutes tops, then if you want you can move on. Or, you could stay here a few days, catch your breath, get your bearings, decide what you want, get to know some people around here, see if you'd like to stay. I mean, we got plenty of room, three square meals a day you don't have to fight for, and finally, I think you'd be a great asset to one of our offworld teams." He looked up as she hesitantly drew closer. At the movement, she instantly stepped back again.

"I know you're scared. I can respect that. But I think you want to be done running. Am I right?" John asked after a long silence.

She bit her lip, looked away.

Looked to the floor.

"No pressure. Let's go see Beckett, we'll get some food into you, a place to sleep for the night, you can think it over without anyone trying to sway you one way or the other." He offered when the silence had gone on for several more moments.

She bobbed her head once, he smiled kindly.

"You want to follow me, or just..." He extended a hand to the doorway, she stepped back to let him pass.

In the hallway, he paused once more.

"Movie night tonight. Doc checks you out okay you want to join us? The more the merrier. I know Teyla and Keller would love to have another woman to round out the group. Again, no pressure." He glanced both ways, then tilted his head slightly.

"Come on. I know a shortcut."


	6. Chapter 6

She watched this doctor, Carson Beckett, move easily around the infirmary. As he spoke to her, she felt her unease ebbing away. Finally, he moved closer and raised his hands with a questioning look.

She nodded, he carefully turned her head to run his hands up under her throat.

"No signs of infection, bloodwork came back negative, you ask me, she's as healthy as they come." He finally announced.

"Hear that? You got a clean bill of health. Now, usually, we like to get to know someone's name for the formal introduction, you wanna' give us yours?" Sheppard asked with a kind smile. She furrowed her brow, remembering her home planet, her home, her….

She was shaking when she raised her eyes to his, unable to make a sound. Not for the first time she cursed the Wraith for what they had done to her. Taken her away from her family, taken her from everything she once knew. Taken her voice and her name.

"Hey, no worries. Sometimes, I have a few drinks with Chewie here, I forget my name too." Sheppard teased, tapping the larger man in the chest with a finger.

"Good way to lose the finger."

Sheppard instantly yanked his hand away, a smile ghosting across the woman's lips before her features stilled once more.

"So, this is your room if you decided to stay with us here, you'd be on a team with some of my people. Possibly even my team. We'd have to see how well you play with others, see how good a shot you are, that sort of thing. We'll give you a couple of days to decide, no matter what we won't let you swing in the wind on your own. My boss, Woolsey said we were to let you leave, if you wanted. We'll give you everything you need to survive. Or if you'd rather stay here, that's cool too. Your decision. The only catch is, you can't tell anyone where we are if you do decide to leave. You look tired. I'll leave you to just get settled in. If you need anything, Teyla's three doors down from your room. She's the woman you met earlier in the infirmary. Not Doc Keller, she's…well, she practically lives in the infirmary. Teyla has hobbies and interests outside the infirmary. We all do, really, but, well, you'll remember Teyla when you see her. Anyway, you've had a long day, I'll let you get some rest. If you need anything, there's a guard posted outside your door. He's mainly there in case you decide to kill us all in our sleep, he's supposed to scream like a girl if you give him trouble, which gives me time to lead the others in a mad scramble away from you. Not that I think you will, just…I don't have to outrun you, I just have to outrun them. Let's put it that way. By the way, if you have any type of defense you think we should know about, let myself or one of my team know. Yeah?"

Sheppard hadn't stopped talking since he had brought her to her temporary quarters. Temporary, he claimed, since she hadn't decided to stay. If she stayed, she would be given larger rooms.

Or so he claimed.

She only wanted to know when he would demand things from her. Things that would end with his death.

"You probably want to rest now. I'll just…" He motioned at the door with his thumb as he gave her a small grin then left, leaving her to look around the room. She was oddly touched by the gesture. He seemed to understand her need to be alone for exploration. Perhaps she wouldn't kill him after all. When her hand brushed the mattress, she recoiled at the sponginess. How did the Atlanteans sleep on the things? Yanking the blanket off the bed, she made her way out onto the small balcony and settled in for the night.

Closing her eyes, she assumed a seated cross legged position and placed her wrists on her knees in quiet meditation. Twenty minutes of that, and she would be rested enough to take on a small army. This time, however, she had another purpose in mind.

_Sending her consciousness outward across the length of space, she combed the galaxy until she found what she was searching for. _

_In the vast depths of darkness, another mind touched hers and awoke from slumber. It hungered._

And slowly, she smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

She wakes early when the mind touches hers again, announcing its presence. Moving instantly, she is still pulling her boots on when the gunshots start. Wincing, she bolted down the hall toward the noise, putting on a burst of speed at the sound of a scream that rose in intensity before cutting off sharply. Leaping over two downed Marines in the doorway of the East Wing, she shoved Lorne to the side and yanked the weapon from his arms, spinning to bury the butt of the gun in the temple of the soldier on her opposite side.

The mass on the end of the pier moved forward to protect its kill, three Marines. Glaring around at the soldiers, the woman stepped away, motioning her arms downward to tell them to lower their weapons. When Lorne finally gestured reluctantly, she gave a small nod of gratitude before taking her pack off her back and fishing inside for several seconds, coming up with something that resembled an arm.

_Dragons loved Wraith meat _

Lorne grabbed the girl's upper arm when she was within only a few feet of the creature, pulling her away as he raised his weapon. Silently, she caught the barrel, dragging it down once more. Giving him a look, she released the weapon and continued moving. In front of the dragon, she knelt and scooped up a handful of blood coming from the nearest Marine, she coated her arms liberally with the liquid, giving Lorne a pointed look. Dropping the Wraith appendage, she stepped to the side, giving the dragon two clear options. Without hesitation, it went for the Wraith. Her point made, she stepped past it to rinse herself clean in the water gently lapping at the end of the pier. When she was clean once more, she faced the Marines fearlessly.

It was a tense moment, broken by the nudge from the dragon's massive head against her upper back.

Turning, she unwrapped the belt around her waist into two thick ropes, slipping each through the rings stuck through the large nostrils of the beast before stepping to the side and tapping a large foot gently. When it rose, she did as well, having positioned herself on it.

Lorne watched her step onto the beast's broad back and tuck her legs under the wings, then lean forward and tap both palms against the dragon's neck. Snakelike, it turned to face the end of the pier, moving forward easily despite its bulky body. Launching itself into the air, the giant wings snapped open and caught the wind, pulling them into the air.

"Holy Shit….. Sir, did we just see that?" Lieutenant Pike asked in the stunned silence after the two had gone.

"I don't…I don't know. Someone call Colonel Sheppard. Tell him to step on it. Our new friend has…an old friend. And he dropped by for a visit." Lorne replied.

"Saw him. He's huge. Think she'd let me try him out?" Sheppard asked, moving from the off to the side where he had been watching in silence.

"She can't. Another Rider will just confuse him. He'll turn on her. Become dangerous. The levels of trust that grow between Riders and their dragons are solidified before hatching. She's cared for the egg, raised the hatchling, and this is the result. You can ride, yes, but you can't be the Rider. She's the Rider." Ronon explained.

"She's cared for the egg for how long?" Sheppard asked after a moment.  
"Probably about seven to ten years. It's still young, see the green eyes? Full grown the dragon's eyes turn either red or blue, depending on the level of aggression. Females are more aggressive, protect the nests, the herds, the feeding grounds. Males just get aggressive in certain times of the year. Mainly winter. Females are fertile then. They fight over who gets to breed the largest females. Bigger females equal more offspring, more offspring means bigger herds. Bigger herds, more Wraith. More Wraith, more feedings. More feedings, females get bigger. Coloring of the body, I'd say that's a female. Never seen one with colors that bright. Not in my lifetime." Ronon explained.

"My people once traded with a group of Riders. Good, trustworthy people. If she rides a dragon, she's a person we can trust. Either on Atlantis or off." Teyla announced then.

"Agreed. Riders are known around the galaxy as friend to the people, any people." Ronon added.

"If she will be undesired here, I am sure my people would willingly have her live with them. As a Rider, I don't understand why she does not give verbal commands to her dragon."

"Maybe the Wraith did something to her in captivity. God knows they tried with me." Ronon let out a breath as the dragon appeared on the horizon, moving quickly through the skies until settling down on the end of the pier once more.

Sheppard stepped forward and stared at the large beast, longer than sixty fee at least, from tip to tail. "She's pretty. You say she only eats Wraith?" He asked when the girl had slipped from the dragon and stood, half-concealed by a wing. She nodded once, a frown creasing her delicate features. Easing forward, Sheppard sucked in a breath when the dragon's attention swung to him.

Two large horns curved backward over the neck like a crown, a row of bony spikes rose above the eyes to converge in a large knob like bone growth on the back between the wings, the scales shifting to lie comfortably as the creature moved. Large hooked claws rose from the feet, as he watched the claws retreated into the feet and the dragon lowered its head to sniff the pier. The tail swung forward, snapping around the front legs. The hind legs sank to the ground, followed by the front legs, tucking up under the massive body. Coiling the head around to look out over the water, it huffed out a sigh and used a horn to scratch itself on the lower back for several seconds before lying the head down along the body and covering itself with a wing.

"She's sleeping?" Sheppard asked when the girl motioned him away. She nodded.

For several long moments Sheppard stared at the dragon before turning to face his men.

"I love this galaxy."


	8. Chapter 8

She stays with the dragon the rest of the day, and the following night. Everything she owns is with her, safely tucked out of sight in a travel pack. When Sheppard arrives the next morning, she knows he was sent to ask her to leave Atlantis. Instead, however, he holds out a tray of food.

"We took bets how long you'd stay out here. Teyla lost, owes me twenty bucks. Thanks, by the way." He smiled.

She nodded once, watching him stare at the dragon in open awe.

"My home planet, we talk about them as if they weren't real. We believe they're just alive in stories." He began.

"Think maybe I could...you know…touch her?" He finally asked. She'd wondered how long he would take to work up the nerve to ask.

Stepping back, she eased Sheppard to the door before dipping into a very graceful bow, one knee touching the ground and arms spread to the side, her head lowering to her chest. In response the dragon's body flattened to the pier, the only sign of life was the chuffing of breath from the nostrils, the large sides working in and out like a bellows. Rising, she waved Sheppard forward once more. Moving slowly, he made his way over to the creature, staring the entire time.

"She won't take my hand off, if I touch her?" He asked, glancing at her for a brief moment.

She shrugged.

"By that, I take it you mean no." He mumbled, easing forward a few feet. The woman rolled her eyes and caught the dragon's eye, lifting a hand up by her mouth. Instantly, the large head lifted off the ground and twin blasts of fire shot from the flared nostrils. Sheppard yelped and danced out of the way, much to her amusement. A grin lighting her face, she shook her head at him.

"That wasn't funny." He muttered, standing once more as an answering smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

Moving closer, Sheppard finally pressed his palm against the dragon's shoulder. A look of awe crossed his face at the contact.

"I thought she'd feel slimy, you know? Not like this. I mean, scaly, yeah. But the scales are soft. There's a fabric on my planet, we call it velvet, that's what she feel like." He explained. He followed her with his eyes as she bounded up the dragon's sleek side, seating herself on the bony ridge behind the neck and lifting the two leather reins that coiled back from the rings through the dragon's nose. Extending her hand to him, she waited.

He didn't have to be asked twice. Swinging up next to her, he held on as she tugged lightly at the lines. The dragon responded beautifully, the heavy body turning with grace to face the end of the pier. Seconds later, they were in the air and circling the city with a slow but easy movement.  
Sheppard hollered with glee when the girl gently tweaked the lines, the dragon obediently slapping the air harshly to gain height in the sky. When her eyes crinkled at the corners, Sheppard knew to grip the leather traces that crisscrossed the dragon's back just beneath him before whooping mightily as the dragon folded it's wings flat to it's sides and executed a slithering spin in the air, racing headlong in a downward position for the ocean far below. At the last second, her mighty wings snapped open and she caught the air currents rising off the warming waters, skimming mere inches above the water.

When she guided the dragon to the pier once again some ten minutes later, Woolsey was waiting.

"Colonel, have you been able to ascertain the information I sent you to retrieve from her?" He asked when Sheppard stepped down from the dragon.

The woman stepped away at his tone, her defenses coming up. She could sense through his pleasant words that he had no love for her. No matter, hopefully once her injuries were healed she would be leaving the City of the Ancestors.

"Yeah, about the questions. We'd just like to ask you a few things. Yes or no answers, it's not a big deal. There's really no right or wrong answer here, so don't worry about that part of it. This is standard procedure when we take on someone new." Sheppard paused, watching her carefully. She nodded once for him to continue.

"You're a Runner?" He asked.

The woman nodded, reaching up absently to rub the dragon's horns when it butted gently against her shoulder blades.

"You were hiding on that planet, trying to get away from the Wraith?" He continued.

She nodded, a jerky movement that told volumes.

"If we let you stay here, would you be willing to join a team?" Shepard took in a deep breath as she turned away.

"What Colonel Sheppard is trying to ask is, are you a threat to us? A Wraith worshipper? Would you tell them were we are?" Woolsey cut in.

_Worshipper._

He thought she was an _Abomination!_

She wanted to destroy him, tear his throat out.

Gut him from belt to nose.

Instead, she methodically moved to her gear and laid it open, unwrapping the carcasses of the last three Wraith she had butchered and dismembered. Tossing the heads at his feet, she stepped up until she stood before him, her eyes boring into his.

She didn't worship the monsters who hunted her and her kind. When he broke eye contact, she scooped up the heads and one by one tossed them to the dragon.

"I think that's a 'no' to all three questions, sir." Sheppard murmured softly.

"Of course…Yes, I believe that's…I believe you're right Colonel. If you find anything else out, let me know immediately?" Woolsey hurried off to his office, the woman ignored his exit.


	9. Chapter 9

Sheppard brings her trays of food twice more that day.

Each time, she refuses the offering.

_She wasn't an Abomination. _

Each time he takes the old tray, a fleeting look of concern crosses his face at the sight of her untouched food.

The third time he shows up with two trays, setting them down on a table near her. "Last chance to eat something. Next time, I bring Beckett up here to give you an IV." He told her with a playful smile. At the glare she leveled his way, Sheppard grinned. "I'll have Ronon hold you down."

His gaze traveled over the dragon, much as it always did when he was with her.

"Come on, don't make me eat alone here. I got a mission in a week, I need to keep my strength up. You don't eat, I won't either." He called. Huffing out a breath of frustration, she joined him at the table. She stared down at the food, surprised.

Cooked meat. Fruit and vegetables native to her homeworld.

"Ronon managed to find us a few plants from his world, we've been growing them here to trade with people we come across. Is it true the flowers on Sateda sing at night?" Sheppard asked.

_"Mama, can I hear the flowers? I want to stay up and listen to the flowers sing, Papa promised me!" She bounced excitedly in her bed, eyes open wide as she waited for her mother's response._

_"Your father promised? Again? Child, you know what I've told you about those kinds of promises. Yes, you can stay up. I'll let you know when your father gets here." Mother smiled tenderly down at her._

_"He didn't come last time, but he promised he would be here this time. It's my first time to hear them!" She blurted excitedly._

_Mother gave her a gentle hug, turning away swiftly._

_She had tears in her eyes._

_"Why are you sad?" The words fly out of the child before she can stop them._

_"I'm not sad, little one. I just love you so much, and am happy you're my daughter." Mother replied, gently cupping the child's face._

_But Father never came that night._

_Mama took her to see the flowers, high up in the mountains. And the flowers sang beautifully._

She found herself with wetness on her face, touching it in surprise and looking up into the blue sky above searchingly for any hint of rain clouds.

"You okay?" Sheppard laid a gentle hand on her arm.

She nodded once at his kindness.

"It's true. I used to hear them constantly. My father took me to see them at least twice every few weeks. They were a heritage, or so he claimed." Ronon dropped into a seat across from Sheppard, dragging the next chair over and flopping a leg up onto the cushion.

"I must agree with Ronon. I have heard them as well, late at night in the biology lab. Dr. Conner says they are marvelous. On several occasions, they have been instrumental in soothing Torren back to sleep when he is 'fussy', as you so eloquently phrase it." Teyla set her tray next to the woman's with a kind smile.

She nodded once in reply.

"So, we've got downtime, for the next four days, anyone have any ideas on what mayhem we should try out? And no, we're not bugging the science teams again. Last time, Rodney threatened me with no hot water for a month. So, bugging the scientists is a no go."

"Scared of a little cold water, Sheppard?"

Yeah, he'd do it to you too. Lay off the sarcasm, Chewie. Anyone up for golf?"

"I have…a thing."

Unable to handle the good-natured banter, the woman quietly removed herself from the group and went to her bag, digging through it for several seconds. The dragon was practically dancing with glee when she turned to it, a small covered jar in her hands. Digging out a handful of the gooey mixture inside, she carefully spread it on the dragon's front feet and tail tip before wiping her hands clean.

Heading back to the table, she seated herself once more and continued eating as the dragon used the concoction to oil itself.

Sheppard was still holding forth on the virtues of something he called "golf" when she rejoined the conversation.

"Trust me on this, you do not want to play golf with John. I am quite patient with many of the games his people play, and even have a fondness for Monopoly, but the game of golf isn't as fun as he claims." Teyla murmured softly. The woman nodded once to show she had understood, then gave Sheppard a very emphatic no when he glanced her way.

"Teyla. We talked about this. No turning anyone against golf without at least giving me time to talk it up." He turned back to the girl, she folded her arms and continued to shake her head.

"Alright. Can't say I didn't try." He shrugged once, looking over to see the dragon sitting serenely, cleaning itself like a cat.

"She's beautiful. What's her name?" He asked.

"A Rider never speaks the name of their dragon. During the hatching period, the Rider bonds to the dragon telepathically. It's how they call for assistance when separated, or even incapacitated." Teyla broke in swiftly

"Really?" Sheppard glanced to the girl. She nodded once.

"Huh. Well, anyway, she's beautiful. How do you get an egg?"

The girl glanced up from her food, surprised. After a moment of silence, she pointed to the dragon, then turned back to Sheppard and made several quick movements, one hand forming a tight ring, the opposite hand a finger moving in and out of the ring.

"Dragons…mate. Gotcha." Sheppard felt a red flush creep over his face as Ronon barked a hearty laugh.

"Need me to explain that, John?" Teyla asked teasingly.

"Shut up."


End file.
